


Detour to Bethlehem

by danceswithgary



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angels, M/M, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-20
Updated: 2009-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-04 01:25:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney tallied up their resources for their retreat to Area 51: two shotguns, one 9mm, a couple of fancy sticks, and a knife-wielding directionally challenged angel. They were so dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Detour to Bethlehem

[  
Click for Fullsize ](http://pics.livejournal.com/danceswithgary/pic/001ab664)

  
"Did you see….what the fuck was that?" Not waiting for an answer, Rodney helped shove the diner's candy machine in front of the partially shattered front door as a temporary barrier. The bloodcurdling screams outside had faded away to nothing, but Rodney had already decided he wasn't going to be the one to go out to see if whatever had been out there really was gone.

The short-order cook, who'd run out the front door to drag Rodney back inside when the screaming started, asked, "You all right?" He kept the dawn-lit parking lot under surveillance, as they both backed away from the door.

Glancing at the name stitched on the tall man's bowling shirt, Rodney nodded and offered his hand in gratitude. "Thanks…Ronon?" He felt a little embarrassed that he'd stopped at the 24-hour diner several mornings each week for six months and hadn't learned the cook's name, especially since it was often just the two of them before the waitress came on duty. "I'm Dr. Rodney McKay. Make that just Rodney or McKay. I don't think we need to stand on ceremony, right? After all, I wouldn't be standing here alive if you hadn't blasted that…sort of wolfbearlion thing."

"Had to. You're a good customer." Ronon flashed a grin, and then turned to walk behind the counter. Placing his sawed-off shotgun on the chipped formica, he bent down to pull out a box of shells from underneath. Quickly reloading, he set both shells and gun on the counter to tie back the dreadlocks that had loosened in the mad dash for the diner. Extra shells then disappeared into every pocket, and the gun was safely tucked in the crook of Ronon's arm, before he said, "Never seen anything like that before. Weird."

"Damn! 9-1-1!" Jolted out of the daze he'd been in since he'd watched the impossible thing yank an unlucky trucker from his truck's cab, Rodney fumbled for his cell phone. "We need to get the police, an ambulance…." He frowned at the lack of a signal and paced down the aisle in front of the counter in search of one, making sure he stayed as far from the windows as possible.

A clear light voice interrupted Rodney's attempts. "I have tried using the telephone by the cash register as well as my cellular phone. I believe there has been a power loss of some type." Rodney looked up to see the only other customer, a heavily pregnant young woman, walking toward him. "The telephone by the restroom is also unusable."

Ronon chipped in, "Yeah. No lights and the air-conditioning's off, too." He held up the small sports radio he'd extracted from the front pocket of his shirt, earbuds dangling. "Nothing but static."

A little surprised that the dim lighting hadn't registered sooner, Rodney muttered under his breath as he stuffed the phone back into a pocket, then shrugged off his jacket. "Some genius you are." He tossed the jacket on a stool and shook his head, still disturbed by his lapse. "Must be still suffering from shock. Not good at all."

Tilting her head, the woman extended a hand. "It appears we may be here some time and we have not yet been introduced. I am Teyla Emmagan."

The strength in Teyla's slim, delicate-looking hand startled Rodney, but he quickly concealed his surprise with a smile. "Dr. Rodney McKay, but please call me Rodney. The exceedingly brave man standing there behind the counter is Ronon."

"I am pleased to meet you both. I do wish it were under better circumstances. Oh." After a tiny gasp, the young woman rubbed the top of her protruding belly and then she smiled. "I believe I should probably sit for a moment or two."

Rodney reached out to help her onto a stool at the counter, his hands trembling as he asked nervously, "It's not time, is it? You're not having…uh…." He glanced over at Ronon, who was looking just as concerned. Pulling a bottle of water from a nearby cooler, Ronon handed it across to Teyla along with some napkins. Lacking something productive to do, Rodney wrung his hands as he babbled, "Oh God, please say 'no.' I'm not a medical doctor, just astrophysics and mechanical engineering and neither of those fields is at all useful…."

Accepting the water with a serene smile, Teyla assured the two men, "Please, there is no need to be concerned. It was simply a vigorous kick to remind me not to stand for too long. The baby is not due for another six weeks."

All three looked up in surprise when a drawling voice interrupted. "Let's all hope you're right about that, ma'am."

While Ronon held his shotgun at the ready, Rodney stepped between the dark-haired stranger and Teyla to demand, "Who are you and where the hell did you come from?"

Hands held out at his sides to demonstrate he wasn't a threat, the lanky man grinned. "You can call me Sheppard. Been here and there, although mostly there."

Rodney exchanged a glance with Ronon, and then shook his head in aggravation. "That's not what I meant. You certainly weren't in here ten minutes ago, when Ronon and I were trying not to become that…thing's breakfast."

"Oh. You mean now." Sheppard shrugged. "The back door was open and I walked in."

"Shit." Ronon slammed a palm on the counter and then bolted for the rear of the diner, shotgun broken open under his arm and pointed toward the ground. A few moments later, he shouted from the back, "Locked and bolted!"

At a gentle nudge from Teyla, Rodney backed away enough to allow her to speak to Sheppard more easily. She held out her hand, and Sheppard knelt on one knee before he accepted it with a look of reverence. "I am Teyla Emmagan, Mr. Sheppard."

"Thank you, Miss Teyla. It's just Sheppard." His voice was low and gentle. "I'm sorry I'm so late. I tried to meet up with you sooner, but I'm here now to make sure you and your little one stay safe."

Rodney interrupted with a sharp, "Safe? Just how do you plan on doing that?" He watched as Sheppard relinquished Teyla's hand and rose gracefully to his feet, his black leather duster draping perfectly to brush the tops of scuffed combat boots. Rodney noted Sheppard's hair suited the general impression of someone casually dangerous, as if he'd woken up that morning and then walked through a violent windstorm.

"Oh, I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Sheppard smirked as he swept the duster aside to reveal a black t-shirt, dark denims, and the hilt of a large knife in a sheath on his webbed belt. In addition, a handgun glinted from a well-concealed underarm holster. Allowing the duster to fall back into place, Sheppard glanced around the diner and then announced, "We need to make some plans and get out of here as soon as we can. In case you haven't noticed, there aren't any cars or trucks going by, and there won't be. It's not going to get any better out there, and this place has too many big windows for us to stay."

"You're right." Ronon nodded in agreement. "Got another gun in my truck. Not enough if there's anymore of those things out there. Tough to kill."

"Now, wait just a minute. We don't have any idea what's going on beyond a power outage and weird creatures," Rodney objected, reluctant to follow the orders of a messy-haired stranger he'd only met a few minutes before. "It's usually a good idea to stay put until you at least know what happening."

Sheppard ignored Rodney to ask Ronon, "That's your truck I saw out back?" At Ronon's nod, he continued. "Perfect. It'll handle off-road if need be. Why don't you pull together food and water to take along?" Without another word, Ronon disappeared into the back, obviously to do what Sheppard asked.

Rodney pushed forward into Sheppard's space, forgetting about the weapons as irritation heightened to anger. "You can't just ignore me, Sheppard!"

"Actually, McKay, I can." Sheppard looked down at Rodney, exploiting his two-inch advantage in height, and smirked. "Miss Teyla and her baby are why I'm here, and I'll do whatever it takes to get them someplace safer. Now, if you'd like to contribute by suggesting…."

"That is quite enough." Frowning, Teyla rose from the stool to look up at Sheppard. "It appears you have made some assumptions, Mr. Sheppard, and I am afraid they are quite invalid. I am meeting my baby's father in Las Vegas today. I will gladly accept your escort to the U-Haul van that is carrying our belongings but, after that, we shall go our separate ways."

Recalling the earlier attack, Rodney turned all his attention to Teyla. "You can't drive there all by yourself. What if…." Straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin in determination, Rodney announced, "I'll go with you." When he saw her begin another frown, he softened it to an offer. "I mean, I can follow you in my car, if you prefer. I'm sure that whatever that was earlier is likely nocturnal and, with two of us, we'll be much safer."

Before Teyla could answer, Sheppard shook his head and flatly announced, "Not happening. She's going with Ronon and me. The rest of Miss Teyla's things are safe enough where they are, and we can come back later for them, if need be." Sheppard took a few steps down the aisle and reached into a booth to pull out a large cloth bag with two polished sticks poking out the top. He walked back and handed it to Teyla with a slight bow, as he emphasized once again, "She and her baby are what are important here, much more than you know."

Teyla's eyes glittered in anger and Rodney was glad he wasn't the focus. "I am…."

Sheppard didn't allow her to finish. "Sorry. Not up for debate." He turned toward Rodney and continued. "If you want to come along and help, McKay, I'll be glad of it. If not, you can meet the end of the world alone because, if I fail, that's exactly what's going to happen."

Rodney could detect no real humor, despite the amused twist of Sheppard's lips. His odd gold-green eyes were intent and determined, calm belief shining from the depths. Rodney backed up a step, his pulse suddenly racing. "The hell?"

"For some people." Sheppard's lips thinned as he rasped, "Call it what you will. Orders were issued, orders I'm choosing not to follow." Sheppard turned his head to smile down at Teyla. "I promise that I will keep fighting just as long as there's a chance…."

Suddenly, Ronon popped his head out from the kitchen area and asked, "Ready? Know where we're going yet?" They all froze at the hair-raising scream that came from the direction of the parking lot, too close for anyone's comfort.

With a shudder, Teyla looked up at Sheppard. "It appears you are correct about the danger we seem to be facing, at least as long as we remain here." She conceded with a final question. "You will be escorting me to Las Vegas?"

Realizing he'd run out of options and unwilling to face the screaming whatever alone, Rodney jumped in with his opinion. "Let's see. We're currently sitting in a not terribly safe and secure diner on Route 93, just north of Crystal Springs. Now, I just happen to work at Area 51. The way I see it, you drive approximately twenty-five miles west to Groom Lake or eighty odd miles south to a location somewhere, but you're not exactly sure it's still there, in Las Vegas. I suggest you head for the place with big soldiers holding even bigger guns."

Sheppard nodded with a pleased smile. "Sounds like the start of a plan, McKay. Even if the soldiers aren't there, we should be able to find things we can use. Groom Lake and Area 51 it is."

"Good. I'll get my car." McKay grabbed his jacket from the stool and walked toward the blockaded door. "If you could help me move this, I'll just…."

"I know what I said earlier, but I don't leave people behind, McKay." Sheppard grabbed Rodney's arm to steer him in the opposite direction. "Besides, I have this feeling that we're going to need you somewhere along the line. You're going out the back with Teyla and Ronon and getting into the truck."

Rodney yanked his arm free and protested, even as he followed Teyla, "Four people can't fit in a pickup truck!"

"Plenty of room, McKay," Ronon called back as he left the kitchen area to meet them in the storage area by the back door. "Even for you." He pointed to a cardboard box stuffed with cans, bottled water, and at least two butcher knives. "Extended cab. Back seat and window opens to the cap. When we go out, put that box in the back and get in as fast as you can. Teyla gets the front as soon as you're in."

Draping his jacket over the top of the box, Rodney nodded, trying hard not to hyperventilate when another scream sounded from the front. He looked at the matching box that Ronon was already carrying, along with the loaded shotgun, and asked, "Same for Sheppard? You're the driver?"

"I've got my own transportation. You just worry about the three of you getting in that truck as fast as possible. Now wait up, McKay. I've got something for you." Sheppard sounded oddly amused, and Rodney turned around to see what was funny. He watched in amazement as Sheppard handed his duster to Teyla and unbuckled his holster. "Raise your arm." With a few brisk movements, Sheppard turned over possession of his handgun to Rodney. He demonstrated the release as well as the safety before tucking the gun away with a pat on Rodney's shoulder. "9mm. You should be able to handle it without any problem. Use it to keep her safe."

Dismayed by Sheppard's faith, Rodney whispered, "I…I've never fired a gun."

"I'll feel better knowing you have it, just in case." Sheppard's eyes softened and his smile was kind for the first time since they'd met. He backed up a few steps and pulled his t-shirt over his head, ruffling his already disheveled hair. "I'll be watching your backs."

Finding it hard to look away from Sheppard's bared torso, Rodney bent to pick up his assigned box, and then straightened with a gasp. Swirls of color bloomed on pale gold skin, characters and symbols that danced at the edge of meaning in hues without name. Sheppard's head dipped and he shuddered once, twice, and then wings with iridescent feathers rose from his shoulders, beat the air in unearthly beauty stealing Rodney's breath away.

"Oh, you…" Teyla spoke first. "…you are an angel."

"Impossible," Rodney argued, ever the agnostic scientist, his mind rejecting the evidence of his eyes, even as his fingers itched to touch, to verify. "They don't exist."

Sheppard raised his head and glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at Rodney with one eyebrow raised.

"Doesn't matter what he is, let's get going." Ronon wasted no time opening the door, motioning Sheppard out first with a jerk of his head. Sheppard ducked outside, opened the back of the truck cap, and then sprang into the air to hover a few feet over the truck, knife in hand. "You're next, McKay. Go!"

Taking a deep breath, Rodney lurched out the door and hurried toward the truck, the heavy box pulling him slightly off-balance. With a shove, he released his burden to the truck bed, only to freeze in dismay at the sight of the creature that loped around the corner of the diner and began screaming as it headed for its prey.

There was a shout from above, "McKay, get in the truck!" a brush of wind, and Sheppard was in front of McKay, wrestling with the spitting fury. Afraid that even an angel couldn't kill the thing in hand-to-hand combat, Rodney fumbled for his gun, loosening the holster instead. It dropped to the ground, but not before McKay pulled out the gun. Summoning the memory of every movie or television show he'd ever watched that had a handgun in it, he flipped off the safety and extended the gun, supporting it with his other hand.

Before Rodney could fire, Ronon was there with an angry shout. "Get in the damn truck! Teyla's waiting!"

Lowering the gun, Rodney scrambled around the truck to the passenger door and jerked it open, scrambling inside after he figured out how to push the seat forward. He slammed the seat back and Teyla was there, easily managing to climb into the high cab despite her awkward bulk. By the time her door closed, Ronon had started the truck and thrown it into gear, the tires squealing as he accelerated away around the diner toward the road. Twisting in the seat, Rodney tried to look out the rear window for Sheppard, but they were already around the corner.

His eyes on the road, Ronon called back over his shoulder, "Safety back on, McKay?"

Unable to translate the question as quickly as usual, Rodney actually had to think for a moment before he looked down in horror at the gun still in his hand. He clicked the safety on with trembling fingers, trying not to think what could have happened if his finger had slipped in the earlier chaotic scramble. Head down, trapped in a private horror show with a bleeding Teyla as leading lady, Rodney finally rasped, "It's on."

After carefully maneuvering around more than one multi-car pileup with no survivors in sight, Ronon pulled to a stop at the crossroad. Rodney looked up at Teyla's gasped cry, "Look! He is there!"

Appearing completely unharmed, Sheppard strolled up to the driver's window and waited for Ronon to lower it. "Still heading west for Groom Lake, right?" Ronon asked, obviously concerned about the accidents they'd been passing.

Sheppard nodded. "Still the plan. I'll scout ahead." He looked at Rodney and frowned. "Thanks for trying, but don't waste bullets on me next time, McKay." Sheppard backed up a step and then he was gone with a sweep of shimmering wings. Rodney closed his eyes and tried to think of how someone like Sheppard was possible in a world where everything could be explained by numbers and was constrained by physical laws and constants.

Ronon made a left and proceeded toward Groom Lake at a pace guaranteed to get them there in less than an hour, providing they didn't run into any more trouble or an impassable jam. It took less than a minute for Ronon to glance in the mirror, skid to a stop, and then lean on the horn, a long blare that continued until Sheppard was there hovering a few feet in front of them. Ronon rolled down his window and yelled, "Sheppard. West is this way."

Sheppard ducked his head sheepishly and flew closer to apologize, "Sorry. It's easier when I'm flying higher."

Despite the grimness of their situation, Ronon shook his head and laughed as Sheppard proved angels could blush. Teyla smiled and waved, then they were on their way again, Sheppard twenty feet up and a quarter mile ahead.

Feeling the strain of the last few hours, Rodney attempted to wedge himself more comfortably in the ridiculously small rear seat of Ronon's pickup. Too tired to speak, Rodney silently tallied up their resources for defense: two shotguns, one 9mm, a couple of fancy sticks, and a knife-wielding directionally challenged angel. Jammed into a position that threatened excruciating back pain for the rest of his life, he muttered, "We are so very screwed…followed shortly by so very dead."

The only bright spot Rodney could see in his immediate future was that his back probably wouldn't be hurting for very long, one way or another.

That…and an incredibly beautiful and scientifically impossible guardian named Sheppard.

 

[  
Click for Fullsize](http://pics.livejournal.com/danceswithgary/pic/001aebwg)

**The icons/wallpapers are available for personal use. Please credit - please contact me to customize.**

**Author's Note:**

> I found a gorgeous poster for 'Legion' in tipsywitch's LJ and she directed me to [six more posters](http://www.daemonsmovies.com/2009/10/18/legion-six-character-posters/). I created my own versions with two of my favorite characters (two different wallpapers because my husband helped me tinker with the lighting). I then wrote a ficlet inspired by the synopsis for [Legion](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038686/) and a favorite Stephen King story, [The Mist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mist).
> 
> A ficlet that could lead into a longer story that I might not write anytime soon, or at all.
> 
> Really, this is all you get for now. Sorry.


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